If you look at the order for the 4th round of the MLS SuperDraft, presented by adidas, you’ll see an extra pick tacked on at the end. It doesn’t even have a number. Just an asterisk. And it belongs to the Seattle Sounders.
So where did it come from?
To start, we need to remember that the SuperDraft was not always four rounds. In recent years, it has been only two rounds, and then was augmented by the Supplemental Draft. In some of the more robust years, the Supplemental Draft had as many as four rounds.
But as MLS has expanded and the academy system has started to develop first-team talent, the player pool for the draft has shrunk. So, this year, the Supplemental Draft was folded into the SuperDraft to create one holistic four-round draft. The first two rounds were held last week in Philadelphia, and rounds 3 and 4 are on Tuesday afternoon.
Which brings us back to the extra pick. It was originally a 4th-round pick in the Supplemental Draft. The Sounders came into possession of it when they traded Trinidadian international Cordell Cato to the San Jose Earthquakes in March 2013.
With no more Supplemental Draft, the Sounders were due their compensation as part of the deal. So they will get their pick. The extra pick. The one with an asterisk. Now how amazing would it be if their pick winds up making the squad and becoming a regular contributor? In the NFL, they have Mr. Irrelevant. In MLS, he might become known as Mr. Asterisk.
Written by Steve Milne – What are your thoughts have your say below 🙂
